Humane
by mirrorOfsin
Summary: Lacuna Coil lyrics based fic loosely. ErikxMadame Giry. 'In his heart he'll love again...' Im not sure of the rating tell me if you want it changed. please review! FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

**Humane **

_Humane – Lacuna Coil_

_You walk on by_

_Without feeling to your stroll_

_You walk alone_

_Compromise is just another contradiction_

_You're not alone_

_There's a place you've run away_

_That is in your heart_

_In your heart you'll love again_

_There's a place to be afraid_

_There's another chain to hold and you don't know_

_You need it by your side_

_Just let him know_

_Your hell is where you dream_

_And I'm awake_

_Look into your heart_

_Deep into your heart_

_In your heart_

_Your love again_

_There is none for_

_Love is not afraid_

_In your heart_

_Your love again_

**Part 1**

Amidst the ruins of his musical haven, the Opera Ghost stood looking into the black depths of the water. His face – masked – hiding the monster that repelled everyone. No...not everyone. He remembered someone who didn't. Her eyes had cried for him, her hand had taken his and saved him. She had taken him somewhere safe, way from the world and its cruelties, and had cared for him. Where was she now? Had she, like the others, pushed the incident of two years ago behind her? He knew that she was the one that had lead Roul down here to take Christine…Christine. He had not thought he was able to live without her, but here he was. The love he had had for her died leaving him emptier than ever.

With the toe of his black boot he kicked some remains of the broken candle stick holder in to water furious. He would not think about her. Not now not ever again. Slowly he moved to the only thing that wasn't damaged. The organ hadn't been touched by the mob; his last unfinished piece was still on the music stand. Blowing the dust off the white keys he trailed his gloved fingers over it. A loud sharp chord erupted and filled the whole cavern. This was followed by another before a haunting melody started. The past two years of anguish, loneliness, anger, hate and heartache came out through his music. In mid crescendo he stopped and raging threw the candles off and abruptly sprang away. He wanted to scream in fury till his lungs burst, instead smashed his fist against the wall and a sharp hot pain shot through his hand and arm. He sunk to the floor and breathed deeply, calming himself.

Once he had regained himself and resumed his standing position he swept a long glance around his lair. He had made up his mind. He would find her, the one who had saved him then helped take Christine away. Tonight he would find Antoinette Giry.

**_A/N please review! Part 2 up soon. The song has meaning with the fic. _**


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

She leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh and passed a hand over her face rubbing her temple. Two years now and nothing, it was as if he had completely disappeared from the face of the Earth. Not a day had gone by when she hadn't thought of him. She was now alone, Meg having gotten married six months ago to a man who had helped her during that terrible night. She stood, taking a candle and made her way to her bedroom. Setting the candle on the night stand she looked over at her dressing table that was filled with things that Meg called her 'treasures' which was true. She fingered a beaded necklace that she has had since she was fourteen then her first ever proper ballet shoes then over some newspaper cuttings. These were dark reminders of the past. The headlines screamed out for the Phantom to be caught, the tragedy at the Opera house had been in the headlines for months.

"Oh Erik," she whispered sadly shaking her head. "Why did you do this?" she heard a creak and whipped around no one. She walked out for her room and looked down the corridor.

"Stupid," she muttered angrily, "jumping at shadows." She went back to her room and firmly shut the door. She heard another creak from inside and froze before she turned around and opened her mouth to scream in terror when she saw a dark hooded figure standing behind her, but a gloved hand fastened quickly over her mouth choking any sound and pushed her hard against the door. She struggled but the strangers' – male -- body was firmly pressed against on her making it hard to breathe.

"Hello Annie."

She immediately stopped struggling and the hood fell back. Her eyes widened and her legs gave way so he had to hold her up. Taking his hand from her mouth her lips were parted and she shook her head speechless.

"It can't be," she whispered and her legs trembled.

"Thought I was dead?" he asked his voice had a new sharper edge. She shook her head again and he pulled away, the two of them wordlessly watched each other.

She broke the silence first. "You're alive."

"Unfortunately," he said.

"I thought… I thought I would never see you again," she said her voice breaking.

He stayed silent and watched the tears come into her eyes.

"You have been alive all this tome and never once contacted me!" then she, who never cried, broke down.

"Why?" she sobbed.

"Why? Because you gave me no choice! I had to run away after everything," he said icily.

"_I _gave you no choice?"

"Yes! When you betrayed me and lead that man down, you helped take away my everything!" he shouted.

"She wasn't yours to have Erik," she said quietly and dried her eyes.

"I could have given her everything!"

"You couldn't have given her the one thing she wanted," she said and he looked at her in the eye, "her freedom Erik. She didn't love you the way you loved her."

Another silence fell between them, she leaned against the door and he stood still by her bed.

"Why have you come Erik?"

"To get answers."

"To what?" she asked and he came closer making her heartbeat faster.

"To the real reason," he said.

"I don't understand," she said confused.

"Yes you do Annie. I want the real reason why you lead him down to my lair that night a betrayed me, you who has always been so faithful," his voice a deadly whisper by her ear.

"I told you and I'm not your slave."

"You're right you're not my slave but that was just a part of the reason, I want to know why you cared," he said lowly.

She stayed silent and he, satisfied, pulled back. "I'll come back tomorrow where I will hear your full answer. And you won't tell anyone about this rencontrè." He made a move to where she was by the door but she stopped him.

"Erik…you know I wont and," she looked at him steadily, "you know that your heart will love again."

He took her hand and placed it over his heart. "This 'heart' is dead and it's unable to love."

"You're wrong. It's just broken, like mine was. But it can be fixed," she said and took her hand away and opened the door for him. He left without another word, her words echoing in his head.

She took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled for a minute then climbed into bed, snuffed the candle out, and lay awake as shadowy memories took hold of her mind.

**A/N please review. Thanks Joey for the bits of French that I'm going to include. **


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

She told him to sit but she stood for some moments before deciding to sit opposite. In the small but neat sitting room the fire crackled and she looked at it rather than him.

"You don't need to be scared," he said a little annoyed at her stiffness.

"I'm not," she said but a part of her was. She didn't know this Erik, this one was more of a broken man than before and she couldn't tell what he would do next.

"You're all stiff as if you have a board stuck up your dress," he commented and at this she allowed herself to relax a little.

"So have you thought about your answer?"

"Erik it's the same as yesterday," Antoinette said.

"It's not now tell me," he said with a little more force.

"I don't have to tell you anything," she answered glaring at him.

"You will Madame," he said his voice deadly.

"Or what Erik? You'll kill me?" she said sarcastically. She knew she should have held her tongue but it just slipped out. Quick as a flash he was leaning over her and she shrank right back.

"No Annie I wouldn't kill you, I can't kill you. But I could do something worse, something that would kill you inside forever if it happened. Something very dear to you…"

"Meg!" she gasped and wildly looked him in the eyes. "You wouldn't!"

"Not unless you talk to me," he said and moved back to his seat. For a moment Antoinette thought about her daughter… Meg was his child, he wouldn't harm her if he knew…yet she still had doubts. Oh he knew well how to blackmail her.

"It's because I care about you Erik," she let out.

"Don't you mean cared."

"No…care. I still do," she said slowly.

"I find that hard to believe, if you cared about me then why?" he said in disbelief.

"I saw the bigger picture that's why. Christine loved - and still does love- Roul, being with you she would have hated you and you would be hurt by her loathing, of possessing her but not her heart. Your life would have been worse with her, and also what makes you think Roul would have given her up so easily? He would have come back," she said her voice not as calm as it was before.

"She would have forgotten him," Erik said bitterly.

"No one forgets their true love," she said so distantly he looked up at her. Her head was turned away, her expression so sombre.

"So it was because you cared about me…and because you couldn't stand the thought of her being with me," he said steadily.

That caused her head to snap back to him. "What?"

"You still love me," he came over to where she sat and crouched at her feet.

Her heart hammered. "What makes you think that?"

"'No one forgets their true love'," he said, "And because of the great love you have for Meg."

She frowned. "Of course I have a great love for Meg, she's my daughter. Mothers are supposed to love their daughters greatly."

He shook his head sadly. "No ma cheri she's _our _daughter."

Antoinette looked wordlessly at him, her expression was of shock.

"You knew?" she whispered so quietly he barely heard.

"Of course I damn knew! I knew very well it wasn't that mindless fool's daughter! You love Meg so much because she's my daughter, your only living connection to me!" Erik shouted springing to his feet and it caused her to jump in her seat. "Where you ever going to tell me?"

"I…" she paused. "How did you find out?" he didn't answer for a whole and when he did he spoke softly.

"When you got married I often watched you. I wanted to see if you were well. I knew you and your husband both slept separately and never became intimate with each other."

"You spied on me! How dare you!" she said outraged, this time her turn to shout.

"I had to. I wanted you back, you never came to see me," he said.

"I couldn't I was busy."

"Yes, preparing your house for you husband to come home to after he came back from the pub and whore house," Erik said cruelly.

"Whore house?"

"Where did you think he went each night? To a nice tea party? If he wasn't getting anything from his wife who wasn't intimate then where else would he go?" Erik sneered. "Had several at once I recall."

"How dare you!" she stood up suddenly and slapped the unmasked part of his face. "Get out"

He rubbed his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Get out or I'll call the police," she warned.

"You wont Annie we both know it," he said then continued, "And I don't see why you're so offended about what I said, you knew it yourself."

"Stop being so confident and what happened in my marriage did not and still doesn't concern _you_!" she hissed.

"But that's where you're wrong. It did concern me."

"How?"

"Because I loved you."

She was stunned. "You _loved _me?"

"Yes and that's why I was concerned."

"You never said you loved me! Even when we spent those nights together."

"I was afraid you didn't," he said and she just looked at him incredulity.

"You knew I did otherwise I would have never of let you kiss me."

"And you still love me," he said and she turned her back to him.

"That I cannot answer."

"Last night you said, 'In your heart you'll love again' I didn't believe you but your words haunted me and I thought about it and yes I can love again," he said very slowly.

She stayed silent and listened as he continued.

"Throughout out everything it's always been you. You saved me, gave me a life, you brought me up and cared for me. Loved me even. Never did you flinch at my face. You were always there." He paused, "I want you to fix my heart." He said it very quietly but she heard.

She turned around her eyes were misty with tears. "Erik..." she started but stopped. She wanted nothing more than to fix his heart but it didn't mean that he would love her.

"I have loved you before Annie, I can love you again," he said understanding and took her hand in his.

"You alone make me feel human, not a monster."

"You're not a monster Erik," she whispered. He kissed her hand and they looked at each other, he belonged with her and she with him.

"Can I…?" she reached up and gently took off the mask when he didn't protest and cast it aside. She smiled a little awkward then leaned up and kissed his 'beastly' cheek like she had when she was sixteen. He held her by the waist and his fingers caressed her hip. She placed her hand over his beating heart.

"Yes Erik you will love again."

The End

**A/N please review and thank you to the people who have and yeah I gave up wanting to use more French lol. **


End file.
